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February 23, 2016

8th Bangalore Queer Film Festival – Program revealed!

The organizers of the Bangalore Queer Film Festival revealed the program for this year edition that starts on February 25th until 28th in the City of Bangalore (India).
The BQFF is an annual event that carefully selects queer films from all over the world and brings them to an ever-growing Bangalore audience. The festival will serve as an important platform for screening new Indian and South Indian movies. Bangalore has hosted film festivals on themes related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT or Queer) communities since 2003. Along with the film screenings the festival offers art exhibitions, photo exhibitions and live performances.

This year the festival will screen 14 full length films and 60 short film from 21 countries. The catalogue is present a special programs; Thomas Waugh Program,Filmfest Dresden Program, and the Berlinale Shorts Program.

Oppressed by her family setting, dead-end school prospects and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of 3 free-spirited girls. She changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.

La Belle Saison by Catherine Corsini – France | 2015 – 105 min.

The story kicks off in Paris, in 1971. Delphine meets Carole. The former, a farmer’s daughter, has moved to the capital in order to become financially independent and dreams of heading up her own business, an inconceivable notion at that time. The latter, who is in a relationship with Alexandre, is gleefully experiencing the beginnings of the feminist rebellion. One of them is reserved, keeps herself to herself, but she knows that she likes other women. The other was completely unaware that she could experience an attraction like this. Their encounter throws their lives into turmoil – but their budding love affair will soon clash with reality.

Laurence Anyways by Xavier Dolan – France | 2012 – 168 min.

Tells the story of impossible love between a man and a woman after the man decided to have a sex change. Laurence Alia (Melvil Poupaud) is an English professor with a steady job and a solid relationship with girlfriend Fred (Suzanne Clement). Life seems settled until the day when he tells his nearest and dearest his plans to switch genders.

Where does theatre begin and real life end? Endearing Madame Phung and her transvestite singers travel around Vietnam, sparking fascination and hostility from the local people.

Magizhvan by Mani Shankar Iyer – India | 2015 – 56 min.

Magizhvan is the tale of two gay lovers, caught in a situation where coming out (about their relationship) seems to be the only way out. The biggest issue – they belong to different religions and come from ‘orthodox’, middle class families. The movie realistically journeys through their lives post this decision, emphasising on the need for confidence, perseverance and limitless love in such relationships.

Currently in post-production, a feature length documentary about the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, transgender elder and activist.

Naanu Avanalla Avalu by B.S. Lingadevaru – India | 2014 – 105 min.

Young Maadesha has always felt like a woman from inside. While his small town parents dream of him being the 'man of the house', Maadesha instead follows his heart and becomes a woman, Vidya. The trials and tribulations of this journey make for this story.

Natarang by Ravi Jadhav – India | 2015 – 100 min.

A poor working man loses his job and decides to start a theater troupe.

Odum Raja Aadum Rani by Viju Varma – India | 2014 – 250 min.

'Odum Raja Aadum Rani' is a striking depiction of scores of men and women who are destined to lives their lives behind a veil on account of their sexuality. Unapologetic to the core, it touches and breaks your heart in myriad ways, and emerges a life-affirming movie with a difference.

Oriented by Jake Witzenfeld – USA | 2015 – 80 min.

Follows the lives of three Palestinian friends exploring their national and sexual identity in Tel-Aviv during the Israel-Gaza conflict of 2014.

Umber Singh is a Sikh who loses everything during the separation of India in 1947 and is forced to leave his homeland. He obsessively wishes for a male heir. When his fourth daughter is born, he decides to wage a fight against destiny.

Snapshots from a Family Album by Avijit Mukul Kishore – India | 2004 – 63 min.

An intimate look at parents, family and relationships from the point of view of a filmmaker son. After graduating from film school, the director captured his parents on film over a period of five years. Quiet moments at home, random conversations, festival prayers; all the myriad events that comprise family life were lovingly and unflinchingly recorded. The film chronicles the challenges of having parents living and working in different cities – Delhi and Bombay – just as the filmmaker faces his own challenges, settling into his career as a cinematographer of documentaries and ‘arty’ films, as perceived by his family.

Tangerine by Sean S. Baker – USA | 2015 – 88 min.

On Christmas Eve, transgender prostitute Sin-Dee Rella, who has just finished a prison sentence, meets her friend Alexandra, who is also a transgender prostitute, at Donut Time. Alexandra informs Sin-Dee Rella that her boyfriend and pimp Chester has been cheating on her with a white cisgender woman. Outraged, Sin-Dee storms out of Donut Time to search the neighborhood for Chester and Dinah, the "fish" he has been sleeping with.

Waking up next to a beautiful and charming Swedish woman could be the beginning of a perfect love story. But maybe not for Jérémie, who thought his life was already perfect, and was about to get married—to his boyfriend.

We’ll also be showcasing works by noted photographers in our exhibition: Vietnamese photographer Maika Elan’s The Pink Choice, which the won First Prize: Contemporary Issues at World Press Photo 2013 and First Prize: Documentary Story at Pride Photo Award 2013. There’s also illustrations from Pakistani artist Ayqa Khan, a selection of BDSM works from The Kinky Project and selection from photographer Akshay Mahajan’s latest “studio-in-the-street” intervention with “the real Begums of Bhopal”.
Exhibition remains open till Monday, February 29.

PerformancesSunday, February 28th - Alliance Francaise, Vasanthnagar, 6pm
Closing out the performances of the Festival will be an evening of dances ranging from the classical by Masoom Parmar, the moves of the Classy Katzzz, the Tango queered, the Pink Divas with their fanfare and message, and we’ll also present The Sexy Lexi Show among other fun dance performances.

To see the FULL schedule please visit the Official Website of the Festival: Schedule 2016